As many of you already know, silent auctions are a great way to raise money and boost the proceeds of your fundraising event. But while many fundraising hosts use silent auctions to help raise more money, they’re not optimizing their silent auction to perform at its highest level.

In this post, we’ll tell you exactly how to increase your proceeds by realizing the benefits of mobile silent auctions.

But first, let’s take a few minutes to describe what a mobile silent auction is…

In general, a mobile silent auction uses online and mobile capabilities. This means that your silent auction will have both an online page customized for your auction, as well as a unique phone number. After your silent auction is set up, guests can simply navigate to your online page to view your items, read descriptions, and see up-to-date information on highest bids. From there, they can either bid online or submit their bids via text message. Bidders receive instant notifications when they’ve been outbid, as well as when they win an item. Finally, users can check out directly from their devices to make payment.

By using online and mobile technology, your next mobile silent auction will not only provide a great experience for your donors and help you raise more money, but it will also make event setup and organization easier and less stressful! Without further ado, let’s get into the benefits of mobile silent auctions.

Ease of use

While it may be obvious, fundraising technology has undoubtedly made the silent auction easier for your donors. Whether it’s a visually appealing and optimized silent auction webpage or text-message bidding, innovative tools for mobile silent auctions have quickly replaced their physical paper counterparts.

This means that your event guests and supporters will spend less time figuring out how to donate to your cause and place their bids, and more time enjoying your event or connecting with your cause.

Rather than walking back and forth from their table to the silent auction section of your event, guests can continue their conversations or listen to your event speakers. With a simplified donation process comes a much better experience. These improved experiences are crucial to developing prolonged relationships with your donors in order to more significantly support your cause.

Accessibility

Another major benefit offered by mobile silent auctions is their accessibility. Because of their mobile nature, online/mobile silent auctions are accessible to your entire audience, not just those who can attend your physical fundraising event. Anyone with internet access or a cell phone can now become a close supporter of your cause. Better accessibility means increased convenience for your donors, reducing another barrier to donation and increasing your overall proceeds!

Flexibility

In a similar fashion, mobile silent auctions also offer your donors much more flexibility in terms of how they can participate. Instead of being restricted to a physical venue or having to clear their calendars each year to attend a fundraising event, donors can support you from anywhere, at any time. This means that donors who may have moved across the country can still bid in your silent auction, and they’ll still receive outbid notifications along the way! From a timing perspective, your supporters can also bid at any time, not only during the specific hours of your physical event.

In general, the benefits described above bring your traditional silent auction to the next level by making the experience easier and more engaging, along with allowing the auction to appeal to a larger audience. All of these benefits together result in a more efficient and effective way to raise money for your cause.

But while these benefits are amazing for your donors, there are also many benefits for fundraising campaign event hosts!

A special note for the hosts

Some of the improvements discussed above for your supporters also apply to fundraising campaign organizers and event hosts. Say goodbye to paper bid sheets, donation forms, and all of the hassle and mess that goes along with maintaining them! Instead, look forward to having all of your bidder information neatly organized online and available for analysis or download.

Furthermore, mobile silent auctions will greatly improve the checkout process for your event. Because most mobile silent auctions are enabled for credit card processing, your guests can check out directly from their mobile devices, meaning they simply need to stop by the prize table to pick up their item(s), bypassing long lines for payment. On the host’s end, most mobile silent auction platforms will immediately show the host when an item winner has paid, updating the information in real-time and making it easy for hosts to keep checkout organized.

We hope that you’ve found these benefits to be useful as you plan your next fundraising event – hopefully they will make the donation process easier for both you and your supporters, resulting in higher proceeds and an improved experience!

Tying the knot can be one of the most exciting times in a person’s life. After months or even years of planning for a wedding, many couples look forward to the chance to relax, let loose, and enjoy being newlyweds on their honeymoon.

Affording the getaway isn’t always easy, however. According to About Travel, the average amount spent on a traditional American wedding is $32,641. After the big day, there isn’t much left over to spend on the honeymoon. Many couples forego the chance to travel to their dream honeymoon destination because they aren’t aware of the options available to them. But luckily honeymoon fundraising is a great alternative for couples who can’t afford their dream vacation.

The following is our list of tips on how to fundraise for your honeymoon so you can turn your dream into a reality.

1. Set Up a Free YouCaring Fundraiser

To raise money for your honeymoon, start with choosing the right platform. Unlike other crowdfunding websites, YouCaring has zero platform fees. This means that you keep the 5%-10% of funds raised that other sites will take from your fundraiser. The extra funds can be spent on a fun activity for two or an extra night at the hotel during your honeymoon.

2. Start with a Goal

Couples spend an average of $4,466 on a honeymoon, according to About Travel. After choosing a destination, research the cost of airfare, hotel, food, drinks, and activities to determine an appropriate goal for your fundraiser.

3. Write Your Description

Writing your fundraiser’s story is one of the most important aspects of your fundraiser. In 400 words or more, explain to your potential donors the reason for launching your fundraiser. Including a breakdown of the costs will help donors understand exactly how their donations will be used.You can also ask for donations to your YouCaring honeymoon fundraiser in lieu of wedding gifts, especially if your home is already stocked with the essentials.

4. Add Your Fundraiser to Your Wedding Website

Many couples choose to create a wedding website as a way to keep guests informed about wedding details. Be sure to add the link to your fundraiser in the registry section to inform guests of how you’d like to receive gifts in the form of donations. Add information about your destination and how grateful you will be for their contribution.

5. Share with Wedding Guests

Sharing your fundraiser via email or social media is the most effective way to generate donations. Data shows that every Facebook share of a YouCaring fundraiser raises $37 on average toward a cause. Encourage your guests to share the fundraiser as well to reach a larger community.

Affording your dream honeymoon may be difficult, but leveraging YouCaring can help make your newlywed vacation a reality.

Some people believe there’s no reward for charitable work. However volunteering abroad comes with its perks — the most obvious being the opportunity to travel and learn about a foreign culture. You may even experience the benefits of altruism along the way.

Reasons Why People Give Back Overseas

To Gain a New Perspective

Doing charity work abroad is an ideal way to gain insight into a foreign place. The experience will challenge you to open your mind and become culturally aware. Getting to know people from different backgrounds can shift your perspective, and your problems may become trivial in comparison.

To See a New Part of the World

Having the chance to visit a new country is thrilling. And combining it with volunteer work makes it’s fulfilling. If you decide to volunteer overseas, you’ll get to know a new culture in a way that tourists rarely get to. This experience will shape how you approach to travel, and you may find yourself more intrigued by the local people than the local resort.

To Make a Measurable Impact

Volunteering overseas allows you to become a part of something greater. You get to exercise your civic responsibility in a meaningful way. Immersing yourself in another culture allows you to see how you’re helping. Whether you’re building a school or helping out at the local hospital, your hard work will have a lasting effect on the community.

To Develop Meaningful Skills

Volunteering allows you to learn in a new way, outside of the traditional classroom setting. Being forced out of your comfort zone allows you to develop skills that will benefit you later. Working with other volunteers and the community will teach you important problem-solving skills. You may even get to learn a new language.

To Bolster Their Resume

All of the skills listed above are transferable to your resume. Having a wide range of skills from your charitable efforts is a great asset to any resume. Key skills like leadership, communication, and teamwork can help you make a lasting impression on potential employers.

What Costs Come with Volunteering Abroad?

While all of these reasons may encourage people to find a volunteer program, keep in mind that some cost will be involved. Your fees will depend on the program, destination, and length of time. Here are a few common fees you can expect from any program:

Program Fees

Programs will usually breakdown fees by week. For reference, the program International Volunteer HQ costs range from $325 for one week to $1,145 for six weeks.

Visa Fees

These costs will depend on your travel destination and nationality. If you don’t have an updated passport, that will cost you another $60 or more.

Transportation Fees

Flights can get expensive fast, which is why it’s key to be timely when purchasing your ticket. Make sure you do your research and plan ahead.

Vaccination Fees

Visit your doctor before going abroad to determine what, if any, vaccinations you’ll need for the area you’re traveling to.

Travelers Insurance

Some volunteer abroad programs make it a requirement to have insurance when traveling. Luckily, most programs are good at matching you with affordable options.

Crowdfunding to Volunteer Abroad

If you need help when it comes to paying for volunteering abroad program fees, consider crowdfunding. The crowdfunding model empowers anyone to raise funds for something they believe in.

After you start your campaign, turn to your friends, family, and social media channels like Facebook for donations. Don’t forget to highlight your reasons for volunteering overseas. People are more inclined to give to people who are going to help others in turn.

Whether this is your first time fundraising or you are a veteran in the field, establishing clear fundraising goals will lead your campaign on the path to success.

Having a defined set of goals makes it easier to design your fundraiser. Once you decide what you want your supporters to do, your calls to action become obvious.

Let Your Goals Guide Your Fundraising Strategy

Your desired objectives will determine how you communicate with your supporters. Your language may change depending on if you’re looking for recurring donors compared to if your intention is to secure one time gifts.

Once you have your fundraising goals defined you can outline the steps needed to reach them. Think about the tasks that will need to be completed if you want to ensure a winning campaign. Then focus your energy on accomplishing those tasks.

It helps to keep your desired outcomes in mind while planning. But first, you need to determine what those goals are and how you are going to measure them.

Immediate Fundraising Goals

1. Raise a Specific Amount of Money

This is usually the most salient goal for both nonprofits and individuals when fundraising. While all of the other goals are important, the main focus of any fundraising initiative is to do just that, raise funds. Make sure this goal is realistic and specific to your fundraiser.

If you created a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for surgery, break down the projected costs to determine the amount you need. On the other hand, if you are fundraising for your nonprofit, use past campaigns to estimate a practical amount that you wish to raise.

2. Recruit New Supporters

Another main intent for fundraisers is to secure new donors. This may seem obvious, but it is important to keep in mind during planning. Plan out how your fundraiser will communicate with potential donors. You want to find a way to connect people to your fundraiser in a way that feels personal to them.

3. Increase Awareness

A common goal is to nurture and expand awareness for the cause, project, or brand that you are raising money for. Increasing awareness will multiply the number of people that engage with your fundraiser. Not everyone will become a donor, but you can encourage people to spread the word instead. If you want to get people talking about your campaign then find creative ways to spread the word.

Secondary Fundraising Goals

1. Develop Community Connections

A less obvious objective is to strengthen existing community ties or to start cultivating them. It is strategic to develop connections between your fundraiser and your community. Find a way for people to feel invested in your cause. Make them feel like they are a part of your goals and in turn, you will have a dedicated following of supporters.

2. Cultivate Recurring Givers

This goal may be more important than you think. After you have established a wealth of supporters, you may want to consider strategizing ways to encourage them to give again. Securing recurring donors means a significant uptake in your donation amount over time.

3. Grow Your Email List

This objective may be more relevant for nonprofits or companies fundraising to enhance their corporate giving initiatives than for individuals. You can use your campaign as a chance to expand your email list. These emails can be used later to re-engage your supporters.

Build From a Solid Foundation

One or several of these objectives may apply to your fundraiser. The important thing is to decide on your goals, and then build your plan from there. For example, you can create one campaign angled at expanding your awareness and develop community connections. Then you can create a separate campaign for your year-end fundraising efforts. Or you may decide to lump them all into one.

Whichever way you decide to it, keep in mind that the best way to successfully meet a goal is to develop a fundraising plan. See How to Create a Fundraising Plan for more in-depth tips.

Tracking Your Goals

Every goal mentioned above has a measurable outcome that you should track. Why is it important to track your goals? It helps give you an understanding of what worked well and you may decide to change in future campaigns.

In order to measure your goals, you need to record the necessary information both before and after your campaign. For instance, if you wish to grow your email list then make sure you know how many people are on your list before the campaign launches. Then once the campaign is closed count again so you can compare.

The global crowdfunding industry grew to an estimated $34 billion in 2015 according to theMassolution report. That’s more than double the $16 billion estimated the year before and expectations are that it nearly doubled again in 2016.

We look at this massive growth and think of the crowd movement as just one group, those raising money and those supporting crowd projects.

But within the crowdfunding industry hides several different crowds, each serving a different purpose and with different goals.

Using the different crowds correctly may mean the difference between successfully funding your project or failing to meet your goals.

History of the Crowd Movement

Most people attribute the start of the crowd movement to Indiegogo and Kickstarter, launched in 2008 and 2009. The crowdfunding platforms were hugely popular and helped projects raise billions in the first several years.

The real start to the crowd movement goes back further and gets its inspiration from social networks like Facebook. As people became more comfortable sharing their social lives online, it was only natural that the trend would evolve into fundraising and other financial sharing.

As crowdfunding evolved, it split into four distinct parts to serve the needs of specific groups. Peer lending emerged in 2006 as a loans-based model with social- and rewards-based crowdfunding soon following. In 2012, the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act laid the groundwork for equity crowdfunding.

Understanding the differences between these types of crowdfunding will help you successfully raise money for your project.

Social Crowdfunding

Social crowdfunding is the natural evolution of traditional fundraising into the online world. Individuals or organizations can create a campaign to fund social causes, medical and emergency expenses and other personal needs. Unlike rewards-based crowdfunding, supporters don’t expect anything in return for their donation.

According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, there are more than 1.5 million non-profit organizations in the United States collecting just over $373 billion in donations in 2015 alone. These organizations have had to follow their supporters online through crowdfunding and fundraising websites.

Most social crowdfunding sites charge campaigns a percentage of the money collected, the obvious exception being YouCaring. Being successful raising money on a social crowdfunding platform means being able to share your story and reach people on a personal level. Since there are no rewards or incentives offered, crowdfunding projects have to offer intangible benefits to supporters like the feeling of community or knowing that they are making a difference.

Success in your social campaign will usually need to start with a personal approach to family, friends and social network connections. These are the people most likely to support your campaign without any incentive. Your goal here isn’t only monetary support but recruiting this first group to help share the message to their network as well.

Rewards Based Crowdfunding

Rewards-based crowdfunding differs in that an incentive is offered to supporters. Campaigns usually develop a tiered-system of rewards where supporters can get a specific reward for donating but can get other rewards for higher donations. Donations of $10 may only receive a thank you email while higher donations might receive free samples and even trips to meet the project creators.

Because of the tie-in with rewards, rewards-based crowdfunding has become a great opportunity for small businesses. Business owners can launch a new product through crowdfunding, offering the finished product as a reward, and get instant feedback from supporters. Not only does the entrepreneur get their idea funded but they get an army of supporters that feel like they helped make it happen, turning them into life-long cheerleaders for the brand.

Being successful on a rewards-based crowdfunding campaign is much more marketing-driven compared to a social campaign. Campaign owners need to demonstrate how the value of the reward or product goes well beyond its cost to supporters. Successful crowd campaigns build communities of followers and develop relationships months before the campaign is launched in order to get the online marketing to be spread to a large enough audience.

Equity Crowdfunding

Equity crowdfunding is one of the newest forms in the crowd movement but could grow just as large as the others. In equity crowdfunding, businesses pitch a campaign to individual investors for an investment share in the company. Until 2012, this was only allowable in private between the entrepreneur and wealthy investor groups like venture capital firms and angel investors.

With the signing of the JOBS Act, companies could make their pitch publicly and in 2016 they could sell investment shares to any investor. There are several types of equity crowdfunding, each requiring a different level of government regulation and paperwork on the part of the business owner.

Being successful in equity crowdfunding depends on your ability to pitch your company’s potential to investors. The crowdfunding platforms host a campaign writeup along with financial documents, a pitch presentation and a Q&A section to connect investors with management. Successfully raising money for your business idea means being able to show investors how their investment could grow over the years to come.

Peer to Peer Lending

Peer lending is unique in many ways compared to the other types of crowdfunding. Peer lending sites create a marketplace for people that want to borrow money and investors looking for a fixed-income return. Borrowers fill out a loan application just as they would at a bank. The p2p platform checks their credit report and assigns the loan to a risk category and proposes an interest rate.

If the borrower accepts the terms of the loan, it is made available on the website for investors to fund. Monthly payments are taken directly from the borrower’s checking account and investors are paid their share of the proceeds depending on the share of the loan they funded.

Debt consolidation, taking out one large loan to pay off several higher-rate loans, accounts for the vast majority of loans made on p2p websites. Borrowers on peer lending websites generally need a FICO score above prime, about 580, and verifiable income. Investing in the loans is allowed in most states and regulated by state law.

Crowdfunding is a growing phenomenon and promises to change the world through funding of social projects, small business and personal needs. Being successful with your crowd project means understanding the different types of crowdfunding and where your project best fits. Get to know the specifics of each form of crowdfunding as well as the advantages and limitations and you’ll be on your way to funding any project.